Almost all individuals carry a cane, umbrella or similar accessory at some time during their lives. One problem that often arises is what to do with the accessory when it is not being carried or is otherwise not in use. If placed on the floor, such an accessory may become a hazard, and may be difficult for individuals with limited mobility to retrieve. While it is sometimes possible to place the accessory upright in a dedicated holding device, such as an umbrella stand or in a cane holder such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,190, such devices are not portable and are thus often impractical, particularly for accessories such as canes that need to remain near the owner when not in use. Often individuals will attempt to simply hang the accessory by its handle on the edge of a table or counter, where it is easily reachable. Unfortunately, since the handle is usually not designed for this use, an accessory stored in this way will frequently fall to the floor. Although portable devices exist that are designed to keep a cane on a table or counter, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,437, a simpler and less expensive device is desirable.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which will reduce the possibility that an accessory with a longitudinal member, such as a cane or umbrella, will fall when it is hung on a table, counter or other elevated, horizontal surface. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that can be easily attached to a cane, umbrella or a similar accessory. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that is easily and inexpensively manufactured,
The current invention comprises a tubular member that fits onto a cane, umbrella or similar accessory on the handle or otherwise on or near one end of the longitudinal member of the accessory. The tubular member has an internal size and shape of approximately the same external size and shape as the handle or longitudinal member of the accessory and is constructed of materials with sufficient flexibility or resilience to fit over and grip the handle or longitudinal member. The tubular member may be split in order to allow the tubular member to fit over a larger range of sizes of handles or longitudinal members. A contact surface with a high friction texture that restricts the movement of the handle on a table or other horizontal surface is attached to or is of integral, unitary construction with the tubular member. The contact surface is positioned such that, when the holder is attached to the accessory, the contact surface can rest on a horizontal surface allowing the accessory to be hung from the horizontal surface with the longitudinal member positioned and supported in an approximately vertical orientation.